James Haddrell speaks on the Edinburgh Festival line-up at Greenwich Theatre

In the third of these pieces, I am delighted to report that the first stage of our Edinburgh Festival transfer line-up at Greenwich Theatre has gone well, that audience feedback has been fantastic – and that I can now unveil the last shows in the programme.

In the final (and busiest) week, playing on October 18 and 19, Henriette Laursen’s Gate Number 5 was described by Fringe Review as a hidden gem at this year’s festival.

Told with a unique fusion of live action and film, the show tells the story of a love story unfolding against the background of this country’s immigration laws.

Fringe Review described the show as “exceptionally clever” and said it “should be compulsory viewing.”

On October 19 and 20, award-winning author Oliver Mol arrives from Paris with Train Lord, his debut theatre show telling the true, funny and heart-breaking tale of a 10-month migraine, a job he found on the railway when there were no other options, and his ultimate recovery.

Possibly one of the most intriguing shows in the season, and one which would resonate with anyone who’s ever suffered with constant pain, this show offers a stunning portrait of affliction, creativity and failure.

However, having already become an international hit, having won a Weekly Best Theatre Award at the Adelaide Fringe, is also an unexpectedly uplifting, award-winning story of hope and laughter.

Then, on October 20 and 21, Rebekah King’s new play Moderation follows two former social media moderators on a mission to sue the company that exposed them to the darkest corners of the web.

Already an award-winner before it arrived in Edinburgh, and described by The Scotsman as “a play to get lost in” and by Varsity as “a work of genius”, Moderation sold out its initial run at the fringe before transferring to a larger venue to meet demand.

On October 22, The Girl and the Dragon is the only family show in the line-up, and it snuck in from the 2022 Fringe, but as a Best Children’s Show award-winner I couldn’t resist including it in this transfer season.

Described by the awards’ panel as “perfect for children, a privilege for adults”, the show follows our hero Toral on the adventure of a lifetime as she swims uncrossable rivers, braves impassable forests and scales unclimbable mountains, all to fight a great and terrible dragon.

The show blends storytelling with found object theatre to create folk tale-style stories with diverse characters that will delight audiences young and old alike.

Also on October 22, Niall Moorjani (one half of the performing duo behind The Girl and the Dragon) performs his hit from this year’s festival, A Fairie Tale.

The show reimagines the folk classic Thomas the Rhymer in an evening of what Niall describes as “strangeness, sexy fairies
and swearing”.

An original piece which explores queerness, Scottish race and gender identities, the award-nominated show is set to a live and original score from Diana Redgrave.

Then, as a special final performance on October 30, we have Butchered.

This early Halloween treat invites audiences into a blood-thirsty, absurdist world with a pitch-black comedic script which won a string of five star reviews in Edinburgh, being hailed as “a wonderfully gory story”, “a fringe gem” and “visionary”.

 

 

Picture: Gate Number 5, Picture: Henriette Laursen